Q: Wasn’t the first African-American West Point graduate from Georgia?
A: Henry O. Flipper was born a slave in Thomasville in 1856, but after the Civil War, he received an education, thanks to the American Missionary Association, and attended Atlanta University – which became Clark Atlanta University – for one year before earning an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1873. He actually was the fifth black man to be appointed to West Point, but he was the first one who survived the intolerance and harassment of his white classmates and he graduated 50th in a class of 76 to earn a commission in 1877. He wrote "The Colored Cadet at West Point: Autobiography of Henry Ossian Flipper" in 1878, was assigned to the 10th Cavalry, a unit of all-black soldiers, and served at several posts in the southwest. However, in 1881, "Lt. Flipper's commanding officer accused him of embezzling funds and of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman," according to Flipper's bio at the U.S. Army's historical website (www.history.army.mil). He was acquitted of the embezzlement charge, but was found guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer and was dismissed from the army in 1882. Flipper excelled in many endeavors as a civilian, including civil engineer, author, translator, surveyor and in several governmental positions. He also maintained his innocence in the charges that caused his dismissal from the army, a battle that was continued by his family after Flipper died in 1940. In 1976, his dismissal was changed to a "good conduct discharge," and on Feb. 19, 1999, President Clinton pardoned Flipper.
Q: How many times have the Atlanta Falcons played in the Super Bowl?
A: The Falcons shook off three decades of mostly defeats and disappointment to wing their way to their first and only Super Bowl appearance on this date in 1999. The Falcons dominated the regular season in 1998, winning their final nine games to finish 14-2. They won two NFC playoff games, including an upset of the top-seeded Minnesota Vikings in the conference championship game before losing 34-19 to quarterback John Elway and the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII in Miami.
Q: What are the 10 biggest cities in Georgia when it comes to population?
A: Some days it feels like all 10 are in the metro area, especially if you're sitting in a car breathing exhaust fumes, but actually only four are in the Atlanta area. It's certainly no shock that Atlanta is the largest city in the state with 420,003 people, according to the 2010 Census. It's followed by Augusta-Richmond County (200,549), Columbus (189,885), Savannah (136,286), Athens (116,714), Sandy Springs (93,853), Macon (91,351), Roswell (88,346), Albany (77,434) and Johns Creek (76,728).
What do you want to know about Georgia?
If you’re new in town or have questions about this special place we call home, ask us! E-mail Andy Johnston at q&a@ajc.com.
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